Fleck: Karen Hardy is the action leader Santa Clara needs

While typical political campaigns are filled with hollow promises and polished fluff, Santa Clara Councilmember Karen Hardy delivers concrete action.

As Santa Clara faces a critical juncture, she stands alone as the only mayoral candidate willing to immediately back up her commitment to residents with bold legislative solutions. On day one of her administration, Hardy will immediately introduce a citywide data center moratorium and a total ban on corporate nondisclosure agreements (NDAs).

Santa Clara is the heart of Silicon Valley, but public resources belong to its people. For too long, tech conglomerates have operated under “loosey-goosey” regulations, locking up municipal power and quietly draining our water supply. Hyperscale data centers require millions of gallons of water daily just for cooling infrastructure.

Hardy’s deep expertise on the regional water board gives her an unparalleled understanding of this massive strain on our liquid assets. Her proposed moratorium will freeze new applications, halting resource-guzzling tech expansion before it compromises local water security and drives up ratepayer utility costs.

Simultaneously, her historic NDA ban will permanently end the era of corporate secrecy, mandating full retroactive transparency for past city real estate and utility allocations. Hardy isn’t just talking about a pause — she is the only candidate calling for a formal legislative moratorium to legally insulate Santa Clara from developer lawsuits.

Her unmatched readiness is forged by a lifetime of local service. A retired math and computer science teacher at Wilcox High School, Hardy also founded an internationally recognized after-school robotics program.

Karen Hardy doesn’t wait for change, she executes it. For a transparent, water-secure resident-first Santa Clara, the choice is clear.

Byron Fleck is an attorney and former longtime resident of Santa Clara, having served eight years on the city’s Planning Commission and also as its chair. He is a volunteer member of the KarenHardy4Mayor Campaign Steering Committee and lives in Willow Glen.